Standardization techniques for grade-inflation problems at higher educational institutions of Ethiopia: the case of Addis Ababa

Kassahun, Daniel

Abstract:Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is a measure, which is used to display the achievement of college students in Ethiopia. It also serves as a key yardstick in career and scholarship assessment. In recent time there has been a rapid massification of higher educational institutions (HEIs). Many academics believe that the expansion has increased a tendency for grade inflation in the country. As an objective comparison of the quality of graduates from different HEIs is not easy, this study has attempted to discern the CGPA differentials across sample HEIs of Ethiopia and derive a new standardization technique for their comparison. The study identifies different grading patterns, not only across collage categories, but also along various batches of HEIs. To generate the standardization technique, both CGPA and ESLCE (Ethiopian School Leaving Certificate Examination) are employed to derive the Normalized Index. The index is used to adjust not only the inflated, but also the deflated CGPAs. The quality of the index could be further improved by incorporating additional variables and also by validating the method over a large set of HEIs.